for an assassination to shock the people in the UK, it wouldn't be some illegal immigrant shot dead days after the tube bombings, no matter how terrible that was; it would have to be the Queen or someone else senior in the royal family; or Blair, or a major showbiz or sports figure (David Beckham, Elton John, Mick Jagger etc).

As for the great cold, we've had them before, we'll have them again. But a minor drop of snowfall brings these sceptic isles to a halt, so who knows?